Coca-Cola watches CBD drink space. One supplier says it is now focusing on CBD drink development.

Beverage and flavor development company Flavorman (Louisville, KY) says it is exploring formulating with cannabidiol (CBD), the non-psychotropic, hemp-derived ingredient gaining interest throughout the dietary supplement, food, and beverage market. According to a Flavorman press release, “the company has put together a dedicated lab team of industry experts who are currently testing and producing formula[s] for CBD-based drinks, which could be hitting shelves sooner than you think.”

Flavorman says the company is focusing on “creating the perfect drinks for mass consumption.” It says it hopes to help its clients launch CBD beverages in early 2019. The company continued: “Flavorman is one of a handful of U.S. companies exploring the potential for cannabidiol use in the beverage industry. The flavor experts have been working diligently to develop more broadly marketable, easier-to-drink CBD-infused beverages with the same great taste and quality of their other products.”

Major beverage brands are said to be interested in CBD as an ingredient. In September, Time magazine and other media outlets reported that Coca-Cola may be interested in the CBD market. On September 17, Coca-Cola released a statement on its website: “We have no interest in marijuana or cannabis. Along with many others in the beverage industry, we are closely watching the growth of non-psychoactive CBD as an ingredient in functional wellness beverages around the world. The space is evolving quickly. No decisions have been made at this time.”

Flavorman founder David Dafoe says his company is putting its stakes into CBD because of the promising health benefits researchers are investigating. Those potential benefits include calming and increased mental focus, anti-inflammatory effects, as well as medical applications for epileptic patients.

“There is enough research to support the health benefits of CBD,” Dafoe said in the press release. “That’s why we believe that CBD may be the most impactful functional ingredient for drinks since caffeine.”